With all the buzz surrounding the main card at UFC 173 this weekend, it's easy to forget the potential for fireworks in the talent-rich preliminary broadcast on FOX Sports 1. Before TUF alum TJ Dillashaw challenges the dominant champion Renan Barão for the bantamweight strap live on PPV, another prospect produced by The Ultimate Fighter series is also aiming to shine on Saturday night and take another step towards stardom. Of course, that prospect is none other than 'El' Cucuy" himself, Tony Ferguson.
Ferguson, who was the victor of the TUF 13 tournament, is set to clash with former DEEP lightweight champ Katsunori Kikuno live on FS1. Following an impressive win over Mike Rio at UFC 166 that earned him Submission of the Night honors, Ferguson looks to continue climbing the lightweight ranks and build momentum towards a shot at the title. From the sound of things, Tony is ready to steal the show.
ProMMANow was given the chance to catch up with "El' Cucuy" and let's just say, this man lacks no motivation.
Questions from ProMMA's Kinch in bold.
Answers from Mr. Ferguson are italicized.
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us Tony. First off, how was your training camp and how are feeling going into this fight?"I'm feeling phenomenal bro, everything in this camp has gone great and I can't wait to get in there. If they told me that the fight was tomorrow, I'd be ready and down for it. Since I moved to O.C. (Orange County, CA) I've been able to take advantage of all the training facilities that are out here. "My home gym is in Lake Forest at Reign Training Center and obviously I'm still training at 10th Planet Jiujitsu, trying to keep learning my fundamentals and earn that brown belt. Camp has been going amazing and it's hard to say, I hate repeating myself but it's just like any other fight I've had. "I've prepared really well for it, my conditioning is amazing, I'm strong as an ox, everyone at the gym has been telling me that I look phenomenal. I was kind of depressed that we got bumped from the main card to the prelims, but it's perfect. I get paid either way and I'm going to come out with a victory."On Twitter you mentioned that you were feeling ripped up and that we should prepare for an all new "El' Cucuy." Is it safe to say that this has been the best camp of your career?"This is probably one of the best that I've had. In most of my other camps I haven't lifted a lot of weights because I don't want to get big and bulky. Like when I used to wrestle at Grand Valley State, the things I did that helped me win nationals over there I incorporated into this camp. Sprint work, putting in a plate workout after every single workout, I've been doing some pretty incredible stuff now. "As far as what you're going to see that's new in the cage, I'm not going to have that ring rust, although it didn't seem like I had ring rust against Mike Rio. I want to be able to go out there and throw combinations immediately, have a game plan and get my victory." What can you tell me about your opponent? Kikuno is a bit of an unknown among American fans, but he has a win in the UFC and several impressive finishes in Japan. How are you approaching the task at hand?"Katsunori Kikuno is just another fighter, he's 1-0 in the UFC, he's got over twenty fights and he's the DEEP 9 tournament champion. He did fight Quinn Mulhern and he did beat him by unanimous decision, but I think Quinn could have stood with him and used his jiujitsu game a little better, I think that he made Kikuno look good. "He's been fighting in his back yard his whole life and he has never fought anybody like me. Sure, he's fought Eddie Alvarez and Quinn Mulhern is tall as heck, but look, I've got fast hands and he has fast feet. It's going to be that classic battle like in the River City Ransom game for Nintendo, you're going to have dragon feet against stone hands. I'm going to come in there and kick his butt, that's how it's gotta be."We last saw you compete at UFC 166 and prior to that you had the layoff for the arm injury. I'm wondering about the gap in time between these fights, I would imagine you have been eager to get back in there. Was it a lack of opposition? A timing issue?"We actually would have ended up taking a fight a little bit quicker but I had the plate removed from my arm. I didn't feel like being Wolverine anymore so I asked if the plate was really necessary in my arm, they said no and I was like, 'shit, let's take it out.' For me, if I have something in my body that doesn't belong there, I want it out of there, especially if I know that I operate twice as good without it. "I knew it was holding me back and I told the doctors to get rid of the thing and that I would do everything I have to do to get my arm back to normal. They listened to me and I listened to everything they wanted, then I recovered. You're going to see that my arm is back to normal and after I hit him with it, he isn't going to want to be hit again."All injuries aside and assuming you're healthy for the rest of the year, how many times would you like to compete in 2014 realistically?"I would love to go back to how things were when I was on The Ultimate Fighter, I fought six times that year. I had three in the house, then I had Ramsey Nijem, Aaron Riley and then Yves Edwards all in one year. Six fights might be a lot but I can handle it, I would love to be able to fight every couple of months. "If I come out unscathed and uninjured then boom, set me up with another one. As soon as I come out of this one with a victory you'll see me again, but I'm not going to worry about what's ahead because I have to worry about what's at hand. I'm ready, I might not be talking about the title, but I have it in my sights and it's always in my head."UFC 166 was an amazing night of fights and here we find you booked on what is arguably the most stacked card in 2014. Why do you think you continue to land a spot in these big events?"Because I'm a tough-guy man! I'm a knockout artist and I'm a submission specialist now, I put in my time, I put in my effort and Dana White knows what's up, so does Joe Silva. They know that I have an unlimited amount of potential and as long as I keep my mind and my training fluent, they know that I have the potential to be the champion one day. I just know that whatever I'm doing is the right thing, they keep giving me these great spots and all I have to do is show up with my A-game. Kick ass and chew bubble gum, you know what I mean?"Before we jump into the lightweight division and your evolution as a fighter, I just wanted to know what fight on this card you are most looking forward to watching?"Mine. I'm going to steal the show, I don't just game plan for a fight, I have pathways where I can win. If one pathway doesn't work then I just have to go to another one, that's something I take pride in because I put in the time and the hours in the gym. "As far as how the night goes, I'd love to see my fight get Performance of the Night and be one of the best fights on that card. That way, they have to put me on the main card next time. It's nothing against Cormier, Henderson, Lawler, Ellenberger, Dillashaw and Barão because those are all great fights, but I'm going to steal the show. It's going to be hard to do but I have an unlimited amount of potential to do so."From your wrestling days, through TUF 13 and up until present day, it's been pretty clear that you don't have a problem with work ethic. That being said, what kind of things have you been working on in the gym that you are most eager to display this weekend?"My confidence. That loss to Michael Johnson tore me up man, just one loss tore me up. I'm 4 and 1 in the UFC and I always think about that loss, I'm a perfectionist and I strive for that, but when I make a mistake I always make sure that I go back and fix it. The evolution of El' Cucuy will come out for this fight and I'll be twice as scary for this guy. I am one to be reckoned with in this game, I know I'm a top ten UFC fighter."The lightweight division has never been more competitive and now that you're healthy, there's no reason you shouldn't be back on everyone's radar. I know you aren't the type to call someone out, but what match-ups are intriguing to you? Is a rematch with Michael Johnson something that you really want?"That's not even in my head anymore, I took that loss as a learning experience and if it happens, it happens. Of course I want to kick that dudes ass, he broke my arm, but it's not like there's any animosity. He's a cool dude, he's from TUF, but I'm done fighting guys from TUF, I want to fight these other guys. I want to fight the top contenders who are trying to make a name for themselves and shut them up, then I can be in title contention."In previous conversations we spoke about the mental and spiritual side of fighting. With the ups and downs of your career with the injury and now being back in prime form, how important has the mixture of mind, body and spirit been for you?"It's taken me years to get to where I'm at and I haven't perfected it, but I try to perfect it as much as I can. You need to have that balance man, if you don't have it in your mind then it can't be in your heart. Burt Watson tells us that all the time and I believe it one-hundred percent. If you're not training with all of your heart and all of your mental ability, and you don't have the support around you, you're not going to be ready. My stress level isn't nearly what it was back in The Ultimate Fighter. For me, it's just been an incredible journey."Back to Katsunori. What are you expecting from him on Saturday? And what areas are you expecting to dominate?"I know he's going to come out real slow and he's going to come straight forward. Kind of like my fight with Ramsey Nijem, he came straight forward and I just had to pick my angles. I'm not going to head hunt too much, I'm going to go in there with a game plan, try to get the finish for the victory and come out unscathed. A lot of guys are scared of his kicks but I welcome any challenge and I love the stand up, that's the kind of person that I am."If this fight gets finished do you see it being a knockout or submission?"Either one. Let me say this; when I was wrestling in freestyle back in the day, my pops always told me that I needed to get my mat time. He'd say, 'we spent all this money and bring you all over Michigan for you to wrestle five times and only be out there thirty seconds, you need to get some mat time.' In mixed martial arts, you don't really want to get that mat time but I'm going to go in there and use all my skills. Not just my Muay Thai, not just my boxing or my jiujitsu or my wrestling, but everything. Being unorthodox is a tool that is in my box and any problem that he has, I'm going to have a tool for it."In conclusion, why should fans tune in on Saturday and what can all the "El' Cucuy" supporters expect from you in 2014?"You're going to see fireworks. You're going to see bombs blasting, you're going to see sick brawling, you're going to see it all. And I hope to bring a whole new aspect of my game. I want to show off some sick stand up or some sick jiujitsu that nobody has ever seen before. I love to be original and I love to be extraordinarily original. As far as my fans go, thank you all for supporting Tony Ferguson. I'm going to be a lot more scary in this fight and I'm going to put fear in my opponents eyes. The next guy won't want to step in there with me."
Make sure you tune in for Tony's fight this Saturday, live on FOX Sports 1! The man means business. Check your local listings.
Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyFergusonXT
For more on UFC 173, the latest MMA news and all things awesome, ProMMANow has got you covered!@kinchMMA]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/05/21/exclusive-tony-ferguson-talks-katsunori-kikuno-and-ufc-173-im-going-to-steal-the-show/feed/0Pat Curran vs. Patricio Pitbull Featherweight Title Fight Headlines Bellator 121http://prommanow.com/2014/04/18/pat-curran-vs-patricio-pitbull-featherweight-title-fight-headlines-bellator-121/
http://prommanow.com/2014/04/18/pat-curran-vs-patricio-pitbull-featherweight-title-fight-headlines-bellator-121/#commentsFri, 18 Apr 2014 23:32:17 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=127746Pat Curran will defend his Featherweight Title against Patricio Pitbull in the Bellator 121 headliner on Friday, June 6, from WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. The Summer Series opener will broadcast LIVE on Spike Tv.
Curran and Pitbull fought once before, with Curran successfully defending his 145-pound title via split decision at Bellator 85 in Jan. 2013.
Since their first meeting, Curran has lost and regained his world title, while Pitbull has gone unbeaten and won the season 9 Featherweight Tournament. Pitbull spoke about the rematch:

“I’ve been wanting this rematch with Curran for a long time, and it’s finally here. I won that first fight, and I should be Bellator Featherweight Champion right now. This time, I’m not going to let it go to the judges. Curran has started to get cocky and he's disrespecting me. He has no idea what I've been through to get to the title. I’m going to put a brake on his tongue on June 6th.”

Curran feels he deservedly won the first fight, and plans to do it again:

“Pitbull has been running his mouth a lot lately and everyone is sick of hearing it. I'm ready to shut him up for good. I'm an even better fighter now than I was the first time we fought and I'll show you Pitbull a true champion fights on June 6th.”

Stay close to www.prommanow.com as more Bellator 121 bout announcements will be made in the coming weeks.
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[ads2]]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/04/18/pat-curran-vs-patricio-pitbull-featherweight-title-fight-headlines-bellator-121/feed/1Exclusive | WSOF Welterweight Champ Steve Carl On Palhares: ‘This Fight Is Going To Be Fireworks Right Off The Bat’http://prommanow.com/2014/03/27/exclusive-wsof-welterweight-champ-steve-carl-on-palhares-this-fight-is-going-to-be-fireworks-right-off-the-bat/
http://prommanow.com/2014/03/27/exclusive-wsof-welterweight-champ-steve-carl-on-palhares-this-fight-is-going-to-be-fireworks-right-off-the-bat/#respondThu, 27 Mar 2014 14:00:45 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=126603[caption id="attachment_126605" align="alignnone" width="300"] Image Courtesy of Tapology.com[/caption]
The most stacked World Series of Fighting card ever is just days away fight fans! The highly-anticipated main event at WSOF 9 this Saturday features a clash of talented welterweight warriors, as champion Steve Carl looks to defend his title against the infamous submission savant Rousimar Palhares.
ProMMANow was granted an interview with the always cerebral champion Steve Carl to discuss his journey to the top and how he sees this tilt playing out.
Questions from ProMMA's Kinch in bold.
Answers from Mr. Carl are italicized.How has this training camp been and how excited are you to defend your title on Saturday?"Training has been going alright, I really don't do a camp or anything, I just pick up my workouts and get myself ready to throw down. I'm very excited to defend the title, I think it's going to be an amazing show."How much has life changed for you since defeating Josh Burkman to capture the WSOF welterweight strap?"Life has absolutely not changed at all. Besides some little aspects, it's mostly just people I do not know or barely know treating me differently. Some more people know who I am now but otherwise life's exactly like it was before, which is exactly the way I want it."Your opponent Palhares is known for his submission game and the majority of your wins come via submission as well. How do you think you match up with Rousimar on the ground?"I think Palhares is bad match-up for me on the ground and if I used my normal fighting style it would be tough. He poses a very unique challenge being the world class grappler that he is and that's something I've got to figure out. Getting into a jiujitsu match with him is not something that I'll be looking to do, but I'm not going to be afraid of it either. I think the key is when he tries to turn it into a jiujitsu match, I need to remind him that it's still a fight."So this is a fight where you'll be looking to showcase some standup skills?"Yea, but I also know that at some point it will hit the ground, so I have to be ready for it."Let's discuss the Palhares situation, how concerned are you with his past tendencies to hold onto leg locks after the tap?"Well I think that everyone is concentrated on Palhares with the extra damage he causes with his submissions. One of the reasons I think everyone is so afraid of him is because not only is he a dirty fighter, but he's one of the best in the world at what he does. At the same time, I'm not going to be too worried about that because I need to concentrate on what I need to do to beat him, not what he can do to beat me."From what I've come to understand, most gyms and coaches frown upon training heel hooks, inverted heel hooks and leg locks in general, due to the high risk of injury. Is that true in your experience? And if so, how do you prepare effectively to defend those kind of attacks?"It's definitely true, guys don't play around with twisting heel hooks because you can get seriously injured. I've been working my leg locks a little bit here and there, it's something I'm a little weary about, but it's not something I'm doing every day, I'm not trying to change my game up so I can become a leg lock expert. I'm still just going out and doing my thing, I usually just train for every fight the same way and get myself ready because that's what's going to win the fight."One of the notable losses on Palhares' record, where his opponent was able to stifle the leg attacks by pretty much punching him in the face, came at the hands of Alan Belcher. Is that a fight you have been studying in preparation for this bout?"You know, everybody has been pointing to the Alan Belcher fight, saying that he laid out the game plan on how to beat Palhares, but when I watch the fight I cringe in my chair until the end. Belcher took him to deep waters and it was scary for anybody watching that fight, but Belcher did an amazing job defending the submissions and showing everyone how you can really break Palhares down. That's not something I'm not looking forward to doing, but it's something that I'm going to have to face if I find myself in that position. Getting in a leg lock war with Palhares is not on my schedule."This will make his second fight at welterweight and given his size and the amount of weight he cuts, I'm guessing his gas tank will certainly be in question. Is that something you will be looking to exploit and drag him into the deep water to drown him?"Absolutely not, I honestly don't see this fight going past the third round, I don't even see this fight making it past the third minute. I think when we get out there it's going to be an explosion and somebody is going to get the finish. That's a way a fight should go and that's the way this fight is gonna go."Everyone says that it's easier to win a title then it is to keep it. How motivated are you to keep that strap and how has that translated into your work in the gym?"It really hasn't affected my work in gym at all, but I would say that this is a much tougher fight for me then it was to win the belt. At the same time, going into this fight the belt isn't even a factor in my mind. I'm the champion and I carry the belt with me on the way to the cage but I have more to gain in this fight then I have to lose. The recognition I'll get beating Palhares is going to be a lot more valuable then keeping that belt. Even as the champion, I'm going into this fight as a pretty big underdog, so winning this fight would solidify me with the fans and fighters in general. It would mark a turning point in my career where I'm no longer the underdog."Changing gears here a bit, when I spoke with your friend and training partner Derrick Mehmen prior to his fight at WSOF 8, he expressed that he was very upset that you were snubbed from the proposed super-fight card between WSOF and Bellator. What was your take on that?"Well, they picked the names and put them out there and that's kind of how it worked out. Yes I cared, mainly because they put Palhares on there instead of me against Douglas Lima and the most exciting fight in all of those match-ups would have been me against Lima. He's the last guy to ever beat me and I'm the last guy to ever take him all three rounds, and I'm the last guy to drop him. This is my fourth fight with World Series of Fighting and I almost feel like I've been brought in to lose every one of these fights. When they came out the Bellator versus WSOF match-ups, and their only champion at the time wasn't even on it, but two other welterweights were, that kind of felt like a stab in the back. But at the same time, I'm in the position that I am and I'm just going to get rid of all those negative thoughts and capitalize on the moment."Speaking of the promotion, everybody that works for Ray Sefo has great things to say about how the WSOF is run in regards to taking care of the athletes. All the super card things aside, what has your experience been with WSOF so far?"Sefo is great, he's got a ton of respect for all of us and he's a really honest and down-to-earth guy that everyone can get along with. Working for this promotion is fairly easy, everything is run pretty smooth and I'm one of those fighter who doesn't take much to keep happy. I'm just here to fight and I don't need any extra attention or anything like that. It's been great to be a part of the first show until now and see how things have progressed into what they are now."Let's get back to the fight, I know you mentioned it before but give me your breakdown for how this fight plays out and how do you get your hand raised?"I think this fight is going to be fireworks right off the bat and that's about as far as the fight goes in my head honestly. I don't game plan and I don't try to plan fights out, I just get myself to the cage calm, collected and ready to fight. When that bell rings, I'm just gonna try to bring it to him and I think you're going to see this go from 0 to 200 miles per hour very quickly. Somebody's not going to be able to keep the pace."In conclusion, tell all the fans out there why they should tune in for WSOF 9 on March 29th."It's going to be a stacked card and this is going to be the best main event they've ever had. I know for sure that Palhares and I are going to bring it, we're the main event on one heck of a card, and win or lose I think this is a fight that everyone is going to want to watch. I think the finish of this fight is going to be epic, everyone is going to tune in. Whether they love Palhares or the hate him, they want to how this is going to play out. I just want it to be exciting as possible."
Follow Steve on Twitter: @Steve_Carl
Be sure to tune in for WSOF 9 live this Saturday at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT only on the NBC Sports Network!
For the latest MMA news and all things awesome, ProMMANow has got you covered!
@KinchMMA]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/03/27/exclusive-wsof-welterweight-champ-steve-carl-on-palhares-this-fight-is-going-to-be-fireworks-right-off-the-bat/feed/0Exclusive: Marlon Moraes Talks Bantamweight Gold, Helping Build The WSOF Brand and Desire For Greatnesshttp://prommanow.com/2014/03/26/exclusive-marlon-moraes-talks-bantamweight-gold-helping-build-the-wsof-brand-and-desire-for-greatness/
http://prommanow.com/2014/03/26/exclusive-marlon-moraes-talks-bantamweight-gold-helping-build-the-wsof-brand-and-desire-for-greatness/#respondWed, 26 Mar 2014 13:00:48 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=126551
Before World Series of Fighting welterweight champion Steve Carl defends his title against Rousimar Palhares at WSOF 9 in Las Vegas this Saturday, another title will also be up for grabs in the co-main event as Marlon Moraes takes on Josh Rettinghouse for the inaugural bantamweight strap. Moraes is arguably the most marketable athlete on the WSOF roster right now, and with his dominant crowd-pleasing performances coupled with his undeniable desire to win, the Brazilian will be looking to continue his campaign for greatness on March 29th against Rettinghouse.
ProMMANow was granted an interview with Marlon before he steps into combat for a chance at gold and supremacy.
Questions from ProMMA's Kinch in bold.
Answers from Marlon are italicized.
First of Marlon, thank you for taking the time to speak with ProMMANow. How has training been leading up to your scrap for the inaugural bantamweight belt?"So far so good man, my training camp has been great and I'm feeling great with no injuries. My technique and cardio are evolving everyday more and more, I'm doing what I like to do and I cant wait to fight. Like you said, I'm fighting for the first bantamweight title in World Series of Fighting and it's been such a pleasure. My first fight with WSOF was in November of 2012, and now at WSOF 9, I have an opportunity to get the belt and have my name in the history of the show. I want to look back twenty years from now and see my name there and know I was the champ, that's why I'm training hard."Was there any doubt in your mind that you would be fighting for the title in WSOF when they decided to crown a champion at bantamweight?"Man, after my first fight they asked, 'Are you fighting for the title?' And the next fight they kept saying it and now it's finally happening. I respect the organization so much, they take care of us and I'm getting my chance now, so I just want to thank them."Your opponent Josh Rettinghouse is a tough guy with a pretty good record, what can you tell me about him?"Josh is a young guy, he's tough, he's good on the ground and good on his feet, he's a good fighter. He's got a good record, he's fought against tough guys and he's gonna bring the show. He's going to go out there to fight and I'm the same way, I'm always prepared for the best guy in the world. Today in MMA, you can expect anything from anybody, Josh is a tough guy and he's got a lot of weapons."Where do think Josh is most dangerous?"I really think he's good everywhere, I just want a chance you know? If he gives me the chance on the ground or on the feet, I'll take it."You're coming off the huge KO win over Carson Beebe at WSOF 6 back in October. How happy were you with that victory and is it at all bittersweet to have a fight end so quickly after you endure weeks of grueling training?"I feel great about that win. I was working hard for two months for that fight and I didn't expect it to only last 32 seconds, since Carson is tough guy. But I was ready to take any opportunity he gave to me and he gave me one early. Everyone was saying 'Marlon needs to fight a good wrestler' and he was a state champion. It was good just to prove that I can fight anybody."You haven't suffered a loss since 2011, I'm wondering what kind of changes you've made in your career that have led to this impressive win-streak?"I think it was all in my mind, I needed to focus my mind on my goals and start to work hard, I was working hard before but I wasn't working the right way. I set the goal in my mind and we moved my camp here to train with Frankie Edgar and Ricardo Almeida, it was such a great move for me and Edson Barboza. We're learning everyday and getting better everyday, sparring with world champion boxers for ten rounds, all these things are good for my game."You exploded onto the MMA scene with your WSOF debut against Miguel Torres, a fight where I had no idea who you were, but after the first minute of that fight you opened a lot of peoples eyes and a star was born. That being said, you're one of the guys that Ray has been building this promotion around, what has that been like for you?"I'm really happy, I've been in this sport a long time, since I was nine years old, and now I feel like my dreams are coming true. They gave me the opportunity to fight Miguel Torres, who was top ten in the world, and when they asked if I wanted the fight, I said of course. I've been training hard my whole life and I wanted to prove to the world what I could do. I still have things I want to prove that I want prove also, where I want to be and who I can be."Since you are one of stars in this promotion, how much more important is it for you to capture the title and reaffirm yourself as one of the most popular athletes at WSOF?"It's very important for me, WSOF has some of the best guys in the world and I want to get this belt and have people look at me like, 'This guy might be the best in the world.' I don't just want to be the guy with the belt in WSOF, I'm going out there to prove that I am the best bantamweight in the world."You're currently ranked as the #10 bantamweight in the world and while a win over Josh may not push you up that ladder significantly, having the belt couldn't hurt. What do you think it will take to propel you up to say, the top 3?"I need to fight the best, I need to fight the guys that are on top. At some point we're going to see what happens after I get the belt, I want to prove the WSOF is strong and I know Ray and Ali want to see me on top. I'm just training, working hard and keeping my mind on my goals."Tell about working for World Series of Fighting, all the guys I talk to love the company and how it's run, I'm guessing the same goes for you?"Ali gave me the opportunity to fight when I was training here with Frankie. He saw me and told me he thought I could really good, then he told me they were looking for opponents for Miguel. I respect Ali a lot and I think he's one of the most important people in my career. Ray Sefo man, I'm a big fan, I used to play with him on the PlayStation when I was like 10 years old. He's a champion man, he knows exactly what we need. One time at the weigh-ins, they were running like 10 minutes late and he came to apologize to me because he knows what we go through, this is important. Having people behind the scenes that were fighting at one point, they have a fighters heart. I think not just me, but all the fighters are very happy about that. I'm so thankful for them."Back to the fight on Saturday. How do you visualize the fight transpiring and how do you get your hand raised?"My first visualization of the fight is this; my hand is raised at the end of the night, it doesn't matter what happens, I'm ready for war. I can see this fight everywhere, but every time I play it out in my mind, I see myself doing well. I see myself working and winning man, going hard, not stopping and this is what I want. I'm not looking for easy fights, I want the toughest fights but like I said in the beginning, my hand is getting raised."Every fight we have seen of yours has been entertaining thus far, so in conclusion, why should all the fans tune in on March 29th?"You guys cant miss this card, there are going to be some great fights and all I can say about my fight is don't blink. March 29th is going to be a great show and I'm ready to give you guys what you like to see. I want to thank you guys at ProMMANow for speaking with me and I can't wait for Saturday."
Follow Marlon on Twitter: @MMAMarlonMoraes
Be sure to catch all the action this Saturday at WSOF 9 with the prelims streaming on WSOF.com and the main card airing on NBC Sports at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT, check your local listings.
@KinchMMA]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/03/26/exclusive-marlon-moraes-talks-bantamweight-gold-helping-build-the-wsof-brand-and-desire-for-greatness/feed/0Exclusive: Bryson Hansen Talks WSOF Debut, Hawaiian Pride and Much Morehttp://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-bryson-hansen-talks-wsof-debut-hawaiian-pride-and-much-more/
http://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-bryson-hansen-talks-wsof-debut-hawaiian-pride-and-much-more/#respondTue, 25 Mar 2014 14:20:52 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=126510[caption id="attachment_126514" align="alignnone" width="300"] Image courtesy of Sherdog.com[/caption]
If you've heard of Brenson Hansen, chances are you've also heard of his brother Bryson, and vice-versa. Bryson, the elder of the Hawaiian beat-down bros, is set to make his promotional debut and fight along side his kaikua`ana (brother) this Saturday at WSOF 9: Carl vs Palhares. Bryson takes on Sean Cantor in what he assures fans will be another great bout on this already stacked card.
ProMMANow got a chance to speak with Bryson to get this devoted prospect's take on the fight, debuting with a bang and much more.
Questions from ProMMA's Kinch in bold.
Answers from Bryson are italicized.How has your camp been thus far as you get ready to make your WSOF debut against Sean Cantor this Saturday?"Great actually, I haven't felt this good in a while. Everything has been going as planned and I couldn't have asked for a better camp. I've got great training partners and my coaches all came together for this camp, I'll be as ready as I'll ever be on fight night."I couldn't find much on your opponent, but he's 1 and 0 as a professional and fights out of the Wand Fight Team. What can you tell me about Sean Cantor?"From the videos I've seen of him, he looks tough. It seems like he's going to come forward, and I'm going to come forward, so this should make for a great fight. I think he's from Hawaii too so I think it's that Hawaiian heart that naturally drives us to be exciting."Do you think it's more dangerous to take on a no-name guy like this? Or do you prefer to not even consider that while preparing for a fight?"I definitely don't consider it, a fight's a fight. You don't go in there thinking a guy isn't going to try and kick your head off while you try to take his head off. It's going to be a war no matter who the match-up is."This fight will mark your promotional debut with WSOF and your brother made his debut in impressive fashion at WSOF 2. How important is it for you to have a similar showing on March 29th?"It's kind of hard act to follow up, not many guys are going to be able to do that in their debut so I'm just going to take my time and if it comes, it comes. If it doesn't present itself then it's not my time to make a stunning appearance like that, but hopefully it does."As I mentioned to your brother, many great fighters hail from the island nation of Hawaii, like Penn, Browne, and your training partner Brad Tavares. Give me your background as a martial artist and tell me who inspired you coming up?"Actually our coach back home, Brandon Wolf. We got into a little trouble and whatnot, then Brandon showed us the right way to do things, like being in the gym and being disciplined. He showed us that there's different ways to go about fighting and he actually fought two times in the UFC, so we've always looked up to him. He was a great mentor."
That seems to be the most common scenario among Hawaiian fighters, they started fighting in the street, got into trouble and found martial arts. Why do you think that is such a recurring narrative?"That is a good question (laughs). I think in Hawaii, it's got a lot to do with pride, it's that never give up or back down kind of thing. That's were it goes back to, everyone is butting heads, but those are all lessons you learn as a young kid. You wouldn't be the person you are today if you didn't do the things you did as a kid."You've spent a lot of time on the Hawaiian MMA circuit until now, was that by choice or just a lack of opportunities elsewhere?"I'd say by choice, I was living in Hawaii until two years ago and I kind of wanted to build my record and try to make a name for myself, then slowly work my way up. Take my time like the tortoise and the hare, I'll be the tortoise that ends up winning. But now I'm very excited about this opportunity and I can't thank World Series of Fighting enough for giving me a shot."Both Brenson and yourself train at Xtreme Couture under the tutelage of the legendary Ray Sefo. Not only is Ray your coach and mentor, but now he's your boss. Tell me about your relationship with Ray and how things have transitioned from coach to employer?"As far as coaching goes, I couldn't have asked for anyone better to help me expand my game. Even though he's a K-1 champion, he doesn't only look at that aspect of fighting. We're supposed to be well-rounded and he molds us to be mixed martial artists. As far as him being our boss too, he's no different. No matter what he's our coach first."I'm curious as to how something like this works out, like did Ray offer you a fight during a mitt session one day?"It's been leading up to it, he just wanted me to get a couple fights before I went over to WSOF. He wanted me to do well before I make my debut in this organization, so it's always been the goal. I've been training for a long time and it's finally come to head, March 29th will be that day."As I asked your brother, how do like training with Brenson on a daily basis and would you say it's more beneficial? Also, who won the fights when you guys were kids?"I'm sure he said that I used to beat him up on a weekly basis, I think that's what he would say. Now that I look back on it I feel bad, but like we said before, these things mold you into who you are. It's great working with him, it's almost like we're twins because we see everything exactly the same. It gets a little weird at times, but I couldn't ask for a better training partner."Back to your opponent Cantor. Where do you think he's going to be most dangerous and what do you think you can exploit against him?"He actually looks really well-rounded from what I've seen. Standing up, he comes forward and his jiujitsu looks pretty good, I don't know much about his wrestling tough. He's a well-rounded mixed martial artist and that's what I'm expecting out of everyone nowadays. As far as holes in his game goes, I guess we'll find out on fight night."How do you envision this fight transpiring and how do you get your hand raised?"I'm expecting this to be a war, even though he doesn't have many fights, he's fought on the amateur circuit a lot and he has experience. Every fight I go into I'm expecting a war and I don't expect anything less from him."Why should fans tune in on March 29th?"I'm expecting a war in my fight and I wouldn't expect anything less from the rest of the card. The main event is great, the co-main is great and you get to see top talent from all over the world!"
Follow Bryson on Twitter: @BrysonHansen
Be sure to catch the WSOF 9 prelims at WSOF.com and tune in for the main card at 9pm ET/6pm PT this Saturday only on NBC Sports!]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-bryson-hansen-talks-wsof-debut-hawaiian-pride-and-much-more/feed/0Exclusive: Hawaiian Slugger Brenson Hansen Talks WSOF 9, Background as a Martial Artist And Brotherly Lovehttp://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-hawaiian-slugger-brenson-hansen-talks-wsof-9-background-as-a-martial-artist-and-brotherly-love/
http://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-hawaiian-slugger-brenson-hansen-talks-wsof-9-background-as-a-martial-artist-and-brotherly-love/#commentsTue, 25 Mar 2014 14:15:42 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=126505[caption id="attachment_126508" align="alignnone" width="300"] Image courtesy of Sherdog.com[/caption]
With such a stacked main card unfolding on Saturday at WSOF 9: Carl vs Palhares, some of us might be forgetting all the great talent scheduled to throw down in the preliminary bouts streaming live on WSOF.com. Two warriors that the MMA world is buzzing about are the brutal brothers from Hawaii, Brenson and Bryson Hansen. Brenson Hansen became an overnight WSOF sensation with his flying knee KO in his promotional debut, followed by a hard-fought decision loss that many felt should have gone Brenson's way. On Saturday in Las Vegas, Brenson looks to get back in the win column with another dominant performance.
ProMMANow recently spoke with the up-and-coming knockout artist to get the scoop on this promising young talent.
Questions from ProMMA's Kinch in bold.
Answers from Brenson are italicized.How is preparation going for your bout with Boostayre Nefarios this Saturday?"Preparation has gone well, everything is going well. I'm happy to be healthy and avoid any injuries throughout this camp."What can you tell me about your opponent other than the fact that he has an odd name?"(Laughs) I don't really know much about him but from what I do know, he's a game opponent. I'm pretty sure he'll go in there and we will just bang it out and that's what I'm excited for. Las Vegas is kind of a small community, everybody trains with everybody and from what I hear, he likes to go in there and trade. I'm excited for this fight."So it sounds like this is the type of stylistic match-up where you are expecting to put on a great show?"Exactly. I'm looking for someone to just meet me in the middle, so it sounds really good to me."You suffered your first loss in your previous outing with a controversial split decision against Freddy Assuncao. Give me your thoughts on that fight."Personally I don't feel like I lost. Everybody that knows anything about MMA, everyone I am surrounded with and veterans of the sport, all told me that I won that fight. It's good to have those kind of guys telling me that I won the fight because they actually know what they're watching, so I don't really feel like I'm coming off of a loss. I actually learned a lot in that fight, I didn't really play to the judges as much as I should have and I paid for it. I don't plan on that ever happening again."It sounds like you were very confident in your performance and the judges call hasn't bogged you down mentally whatsoever, is that accurate?"Yeah, I didn't let it get to mentally at all. I'm just getting more comfortable in there and things are going great, so I was happy with my performance and an overall good experience too."In your promotional debut you landed a beautiful flying knee for the KO, securing a spot on the WSOF highlight reel for years to come. Could you honestly have been any happier with a debut like that?"Couldn't be happier. Everything went right, my training camp was good and I was able to show up and perform that night, so I'm thankful for that. The knockout was just icing on the cake, all I want to do is go out there and get wins."You're a proud Hawaiian native, something you have in common with many great fighters like BJ Penn, Travis Browne and Brad Tavares just to name a few. Tell me about your background as a marital artist and where you started out? "I feel like I'm that new breed of fighter. I started training when I was fourteen years old with my team back home. I quit my other sports for this sport, I knew I wasn't going to be a NFL linebacker because I'm not that big and not that fast, but I was pretty good at fighting. So I decided to follow this dream and it's gotten me to where I am today."Like your fellow Hawaiian Brad Tavares, you train at Xtreme Couture with renowned striking coach Ray Sefo, who is now also your boss. Tell me about working with him and what it's liking fighting under your coaches banner?"Just to have that kind of guy around me is huge, he knows the answer to every question I have. Some guys will say 'do this' and you'll be like 'well, what if it doesn't work?' And they'll say ' then you're doing it wrong.' Ray will take a different angle and say 'adapt this and then it will work.' We're all on the same page and it's just good to have people like that around you, I'm always so thankful."Will Ray be in your corner on fight night or is he unable to do so being the company front man?"No he has different obligations that night with the promotion, but Brad is my roommate and we usually corner each other. We pretty much think the same so he's able to coach me well."I ask all the WSOF athletes this next question and I'm likely going to hear the same thing I always hear. What has your experience been with WSOF so far and what do you think makes this promotion so different from all the other brands? "World Series of Fighting has been amazing. It's just a baby company and for what they have been able to accomplish already, the hospitality they have been able to give all the fighters, I think it's awesome. They take care all of us, everything is professional, you show up and do your job and that's all they ask of you. It's been cool to get into a company like this on the ground floor while they are doing all these great things, I am very thankful."Let's talk about your brother Bryson. Are you guys twins? Is it harder to train with your brother on a daily basis or is it more beneficial in your opinion?"No he's my older brother but everybody thinks we're twins, he's four years older than me. It's definitely more beneficial to train with him, when I'm tired and my body is sore and I don't want to get out of bed, he's feeling great and he pushes me to practice. When he doesn't feel like he can make it, I push him. It's good to have him there so we can push each other to the next level, it's a great balance."Who won the fights between you guys as kids and who wins the fights these days?"He definitely beat me up all the time when we were kids, but now that we're bigger and grown up we don't fight. We get all that out in the gym."Back to the fight this Saturday, where is your opponent most dangerous and what holes in his game will you be looking to exploit?"Usually when I go out there I just find my range and see what happens. I'll listen to my corner and see what they see, I don't really have a game plan, I just go out there to fight."How do you visualize the fight going down and how do you get your hand raised?"I'm definitely going out there to get the finish in this fight, I really don't want it to go to the judges scorecards but a win's a win for me."Tell all the fans out there why they should tune on March 29th?"They should tune in on March 29th because this is a stacked card! You can't get a card like this with such big names for free that often, everybody is going to go out there and get after it. It seems like World Series of Fighting puts on such great shows because guys aren't worried about what happens if they lose, they just go out there and throw down. That makes for the best fights."
Follow Brenson on Twitter: @BrensonHansen
You can check out Brenson's fight and all the kick-ass WSOF 9 prelims at WSOF.com and be sure to tune in for the main card on NBC Sports!@KinchMMA]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-hawaiian-slugger-brenson-hansen-talks-wsof-9-background-as-a-martial-artist-and-brotherly-love/feed/1Exclusive: Yushin Okami Talks Title Aspirations In WSOF, UFC Release and Rebuilding Japanese MMA With Ray Sefohttp://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-yushin-okami-talks-title-aspirations-in-wsof-ufc-release-and-rebuilding-japanese-mma-with-ray-sefo/
http://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-yushin-okami-talks-title-aspirations-in-wsof-ufc-release-and-rebuilding-japanese-mma-with-ray-sefo/#respondTue, 25 Mar 2014 14:00:21 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=126490

Question from ProMMA's Kinch in bold.
Answers from Mr. Okami are italicized.First off, how is preparation for Svetlozar going thus far?"I am doing everything well."Savov is certainly a game opponent for your WSOF debut, where do you feel he is most dangerous?"He has high physical ability and I feel his movement is very powerful. I want to (be careful of) his submission."
Tell me about signing with WSOF. Did they contact you? Was there any hesitation to join the roster?"WSOF contacted me. I signed without hesitation because I feel the significance of fighting in North America."Have you signed a multi-fight deal? If so, how many fights on your contract?"I cannot talk about my contract by contractual obligations." Your release from the UFC was shocking to many in the MMA community. What was your initial reaction to the release and do you feel it was justifiable for the UFC to release you for being a "gatekeeper"?"I was surprised at first, but I always prepared for the worst when I lose, so I recovered my composure with time. You can find out if my release was justifiable or not from my future fight." What did your long time friend and training partner Chael Sonnen have to say about your release? Did he give you any advice?"He spoke with me about my release and gave his advice without words, by training."You have had a long and illustrious career so far, what is the plan for your time with WSOF?"I want to fight with a satisfiable game, and from there on, I'm planning to be a champion."Are you looking to stay with this promotion or follow in the footsteps of Anthony Johnson and fight your way back to the UFC?"I am not thinking about it now. First, I will win my next fight with full force."What has your experience been with WSOF and Ray Sefo thus far?"Mr. Sefo told me that he loves Japan and he wants Japanese MMA to rise again. I want to help him realize that with all my might."All the athletes they have under contract have high praise for how they are treated, would you agree? "It's a new promotion, so I think lots of things will happen, but I agree."How does the WSOF differ from the UFC in terms of how things are run?"Nothing different."
Tell me about your evolution as a fighter in regards to your current situation. What kind of changes have you made in your training to ensure that you remain a top middleweight?"Now I am having my training camp in Japan. I'm getting back to basics, and also new movements. I'm confident that I'm having the best training."What more do you wish to accomplish in MMA? Another title?"I aim to be the strongest middleweight fighter, that won't change anytime. First of all, I will be a WSOF middleweight champion."Back to the fight. How do you visualize this fight going down and how do you get your hand raised at the end of the night?"His fight style is aggressive, so it will match with my fight style which is more evolved. I'll do my best in all areas and I believe that will bring me a victory." Why should fans tune in on March 29th?"Because you can see a newly evolved Yushin Okami!"
Be sure to tune in for WSOF 9: Carl vs Palhares live this Saturday at9pm ET/ 6pm PT only on NBCSports. Check your local listings.
@KinchMMA]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/03/25/exclusive-yushin-okami-talks-title-aspirations-in-wsof-ufc-release-and-rebuilding-japanese-mma-with-ray-sefo/feed/0EXCLUSIVE: ‘Rumble’ Johnson on Mike Kyle, WSOF vs Bellator and much morehttp://prommanow.com/2014/01/17/exclusive-rumble-johnson-on-mike-kyle-wsof-vs-bellator-and-much-more/
http://prommanow.com/2014/01/17/exclusive-rumble-johnson-on-mike-kyle-wsof-vs-bellator-and-much-more/#respondSat, 18 Jan 2014 02:54:25 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=123697
One of the many 'must-watch' bouts scheduled for WSOF 8 this Saturday features two men that could certainly steal the show, as Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson squares off with Mike Kyle. Both athletes have suffered setbacks in past months that forced this long-awaited tilt to be rescheduled twice. Now with all injuries behind them, Johnson and Kyle are finally set to meet in a fight that is almost six months in the making and sure to be fireworks!
ProMMANow caught up with 'Rumble' to discuss this scrap with Kyle finally coming to fruition, the frustrations of dealing injuries, continued Blackzillian success in 2014 and much more.
*Questions form ProMMA's Kinch in bold.*Answers from 'Rumble' are italicized.First off Anthony, how has your camp been leading up to this fight with Mike Kyle?"My camp has been awesome. I honestly feel like my camp has never stopped over the past six months because the fight keeps getting pushed back, so I'm really excited to get this over with. I'm ready for this to be done, plain and simple."As you mentioned, this fight has been pushed back twice since September of 2013. No disrespect to your opponent, but how badly do you just want to get this fight over with?"If it could happen right now I'd be glad, that's how bad I want it over with. I wish we could fight right now."Could you elaborate on the injury that forced you to pull out of the original booking of this fight at WSOF 5?"I re-injured my hand training with Alistair Overeem. I punched him in the head and re-injured my hand, so that's why I had to pull out of the fight the first time."

What was your initial reaction to the fight being pulled again before the Vancouver card? Was it at all beneficial to get in a few more weeks of training or would you rather get back in the cage and make some money?"I was a little bummed out when I found out the fight was cancelled again. I was actually two minutes away from the gym and I got the phone call from my manager. He told me 'I've got some bad news,' and I was like 'what now?' Then he explained that the fight had to be cancelled because Mike broke his toe. At the same time I was relieved because after training for this fight over a long period of time, helping Cesar get ready for his fight, working with Vitor for his fight and helping Rashad get ready for Chael, I was tired and beat up. So everything on my body was aching at the time and I was feeling like I might not be able to make it the two weeks before the fight, but I knew I had to do it. So when I got the news, I was bummed out but also happy about it at the same time. The fight being pushed back actually helped me out more than anyone could ever know."So it was more of a blessing in disguise?"It was definitely a blessing, I told my manager the next day that I was glad the fight was pushed back because I was hurting. It was to the point where my joints were hurting so bad because I was training so much and so hard, that I couldn't pick up an empty glass. It would hurt my wrist or hurt my elbow, I was that beat up."Tell me about Mike Kyle, what are you expecting from him come fight-night and where do you feel he's most dangerous?"He's dangerous period. I expect nothing but the best from him, I know he is going to come to fight and I always come to fight. He knows it's in my back yard, so I think he knows he has a lot of things working against him, but he also knows that he has a punchers chance. I know I have a punchers chance too, but this fight can go anywhere and I'm going to be ready. No matter what, it's going to be a good fight and I don't expect anything less of Mike Kyle. I saw his fight with Andre (Arlovski), it was a pretty good fight for both guys, they both went at it. I saw his fight with CFA where he got a pretty easy win against Travis Wiuff, so we're going to see what he's like when he's fighting me. I'm eager to see what he brings to this fight."What kind of improvements have you made since your last outing that you will be looking to showcase in this tilt? And what weaknesses in his game will you be looking to exploit?"Damn, you want me to tell you my game plan? As far as improvements go man, I feel like I'm just a better person and each fight I plan on coming in better and better. As a fighter, I think I've gotten stronger, I've gotten faster, I think my conditioning is better, I think everything has improved. Each fight I think I bring more and more to the table as far as what I do."I would like to change gears a bit and discuss the rebound year that the Blackzilian's have had in 2013. Things were a little rough in the beginning but it seems like you guys have all really found your groove. Give me your thoughts on the teams success and continued success in 2014?"2013 was just a preview of what we're going to do in 2014. The year didn't start out like we wanted it to, Sean Soriano took on a fight with like three weeks notice against Kawajiri who has like forty fights. Sean has eight. Sean went out there and showed everyone he wasn't scared of Kawajiri, he just had more experience then Sean and it showed. I'm proud of Sean for that alone. I have my fight coming up, I'm ready to go out there and showcase to everyone what I can do and that I'm still here. My boy Rashad has a fight coming up, Abel Trujillo has a fight coming up. I think 2014 is going to be even better then 2013 and I'm eager to get the ball rolling for the team."The Blackzilian team is known for the true camaraderie and brotherhood among a lot of you guys. Anyone who watches any of the behind-the-scenes stuff on the website knows it really is like a family environment. Tell me about that."We love each other. We're always joking and picking on each other but we don't take this stuff too seriously. We train hard but we know you can't take this stuff to serious and lose yourself, you still have to be yourself, you still need to have fun and enjoy it. So we just have fun, train hard and laugh, we do everything, there's no ego on this team."With that family environment, many of you guys and yourself in particular, have been vocal about not fighting each other. That seems to be a common thing among close team mates but I am wondering if you would ever reconsider your position if there was a title involved? For instance, The situation that comes to mind for me is that you and Tyrone Spong dominate the LH division in WSOF."I'll never fight Tyrone, plain and simple. I would never fight him, I would never fight Rashad, I would never fight Thiago Silva, none of us in the 205 weight class would ever fight each other. There is no amount of money that would persuade us to fight each other. To me when it comes down to it, it's not about money, it's about brotherhood."Speaking of light heavyweight, you also looked really sharp against Arlovski at heavyweight, which is incredible considering that only a few years ago you were competing at 170. What weight class are you planning to make your home moving forward?"I plan at staying at 205, but like I tell everybody, if somebody asks me to fight at heavyweight I'll do it. I'm not afraid to fight there and if the price is right I'll do it, but first and foremost my home is 205."Lets move to WSOF, all of the athletes have high praises for the promotion and the staff. Tell me about you experience with WSOF so far and how happy are you working for them?"It's great, everyone is super cool and everybody is really starting to get the ball rolling with World Series of Fighting. It's been fun so far, I don't have any complaints. This is my last fight on the contract with them and hopefully we can work things out and I can stay around. Those guys are great, they don't put any pressure on you and they treat you like a human. They know there are some things you can do and some things you can't do. With us as fighters, we definitely love and respect that, so in return we show them love and respect."As I am sure you are aware, WSOF VP Ali Abdel-Aziz issued a challenge to Bellator regarding a PPV event that would pit the WSOF elite against Bellator's best. What is your opinion on this challenge and how do you think you would match up with Atilla Veigh?"I honestly have no idea who he is, thats no disrespect to him, I just honestly don't know. I used to keep up with who was who when I first started my career but now I just mind my own business and focus on myself and my team. Don't take this the wrong way, but Ali is crazy. I say that because when he has an idea he will run with it and I respect him for that. I was getting texts from friends asking me what I thought of the match-ups and I was like, 'what are you talking about?' They told me about it and I went to look at it for myself. I thought if this happens it would be a dope card, it would be a sellout for sure. "They aren't bad match-ups at all, I really liked it and it looks awesome, so I was impressed. I was like, 'this is what's getting on Pay-Per View in my opinion.' If it happens it would be great, I hope it does happen but I don't know if Bellator will accept. I do know all the guys from WSOF will step up and fight whoever they give to us, so lets do it."Since you and Tyrone are boys, Id also like to point out that if the proposed 'Rampage' vs Spong fight happens, I don't imagine Jackson would be able to take more then 5 leg kicks without falling over."(Laughing) That's a tough fight for both of them. Rampage can hit like a ton of bricks and Tyrone kicks like a ton of bricks so in my opinion, Rampage could stand and bang with him but I think he would try to take Tyrone down. I think Tyrone would still beat him enough to where Rampage couldn't handle him."Back to WSOF 8. How do you visualize the fight with Mike Kyle going down on January 18th?"I don't know how, but I know my hand is getting raised at the end of the night. I know Mike is going to come to fight, I always come to fight, but I think it's going to come down to who wants it the most, plain and simple."Finally, why should fight fans tune in on NBC Sports Saturday night and what should 'Rumble' Johnson fans anticipate from you in 2014?

"They should expect the best 'Rumble' they have ever seen in 2014, and why should fans tune in on NBCSports on January 18th? 'Cuz I'm on the card! Seriously though, this card is going to be awesome."
Follow Anthony on Twitter @Anthony_Rumble!
Make sure you tune in for WSOF 8 live on NBCSports tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT! Check your local listings.
For the latest MMA news and all things awesome, ProMMANow has got you covered!
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[ads2]]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/01/17/exclusive-rumble-johnson-on-mike-kyle-wsof-vs-bellator-and-much-more/feed/0EXCLUSIVE | WSOF President Ray Sefo outlines 2014 plans for continued growth and global expansionhttp://prommanow.com/2014/01/06/exclusive-wsof-president-ray-sefo-outlines-2014-plans-for-continued-growth-and-global-expansion/
http://prommanow.com/2014/01/06/exclusive-wsof-president-ray-sefo-outlines-2014-plans-for-continued-growth-and-global-expansion/#respondMon, 06 Jan 2014 14:32:30 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=123103

The World Series of Fighting has been able to accomplish a great deal in the first year of its existence and this meteoric rise to becoming a premiere MMA league has been nothing but astonishing. From landing a broadcast deal for their first event, to gaining huge momentum worldwide and signing some of MMA's most promising new athletes, the WSOF team has been working hard to build this brand into a promotion that could soon rival the big dogs of this game. While the brilliant minds behind WSOF have achieved consummate growth since the promotions debut in November of 2012, it seems they're just getting started.
ProMMANow was recently granted the honor of catching up with WSOF President and K-1 legend Ray Sefo to discuss the future of his already successful brainchild.
Questions from PMN'sKinch in bold.
Answers from Mr. Sefo are italicized.In retrospect, how happy we're you with the success of WSOF in 2013?"Very happy and very excited. So many great things have come out of our first year, from being the first MMA league to be on network television right out of the gate, to signing a lot of the great talent that's out there. Having our first international event in Vancouver and crowning our first two champions in the welterweight and featherweight divisions with Steve Carl and Georgi Karakhanyan, it has been an amazing year. We have only had seven shows but it feels like we have been out there for ten years and we've had nothing but love from the fans and also the media. So it's very exciting and I'm looking forward to 2014 for sure because there are a lot of things to come as well. I thank the good Lord everyday, I am blessed to be where I am today with my career as a martial artist, as a coach, as a promoter and as a dad."What was the vision or mission statement of WSOF upon its inception?"When my partners and myself sat down to talk about it, there was only one thing in mind and that was to succeed and provide a great platform for our athletes to showcase their skills. With the help of NBC Sports, Boost Mobile and several other sponsors that have come on board, combined with our team at the office, everything has come together, so the mission will remain the same. We want to bring this to the highest level in this sport and continue to put on great shows, sign new talent and continue to give the fans what they want to see."What do you feel makes the promotion so unique? And why do think all of the athletes on the roster have so much praise for the company?"Me being a fighter I think has a lot to do with it. I've been in martial arts since I was five years old, throughout my career I have been there and done that, so I think all of our fighters understand that I understand what they go through day-in and day-out. I'll give you an example; when Bjorn Rebney from Bellator made a statement about not wanting to sign cast-offs from the UFC, to me that was disrespectful. I don't mean to badmouth Bjorn Rebney or anything like that, but to me it doesn't matter who it is, you don't disrespect anyone or any fighter for that matter. If you have never been in the cage or the ring and you have never trained throughout the year, you don't understand. For instance, someone recently asked me what I did for Christmas this year and I told them I was in the gym because I have a couple of guys in camp. So if you have never done things like that, you never disrespect the fighter. You don't know what they are going through, whether it is personal or it's an injury, no one really knows unless you are a fighter yourself, all my guys know that I understand what they go through. "I'll give you another example; when Elvis (Mutapcic) and Jesse Taylor's fight was pulled on fight night before they were about to walk out because of some stupidity on behalf of Elvis's corner. Some people said that Elvis shouldn't get paid, but my thing was that it wasn't his fault. In the last week of training all he is focused on is cutting weight and making weight and putting on the best performance he can. So I fought hard and told my team that we were paying Elvis his show money because he just spent ten weeks in camp and the incompetence of his corner cost him a fight. I think it's those kinds of things that make us different."What is it about your approach to fight promoting that differs so much from say, Dana White or Bjorn Rebney?"I can't speak for both of those gentlemen but all I know is that I can only bring what experience and knowledge I have gained along the way in terms of this game. It's that kind of knowledge that allows me to make certain decisions and judgements that will benefit all the guys."What would you say the biggest challenge is for a start-up promotion in a sport that is still in its infancy?"Good question. I think the biggest challenge, and I say this all the time, any promotion that wants to be successful needs to have a network, you've got to have a television network behind you, otherwise it is a long and tough climb. So I think that is one of the deciding factors and of course the other would be finding great talent. Again, I can't be any happier with where we are now coming from where we started because right off the bat we had great talent and the NBC Sports network. I'm very grateful to them for believing in World Series of Fighting and our team. Those are the two factors that I think you need to have to succeed, if not you will definitely have problems."As the roster continues to grow and build upon an already impressive talent pool, how important has it been for you guys to build up stars like Nick Newell and Tyrone Spong? How do you intend to continue adding top-notch talent?"Here is the thing, don't forget that America is not the only place were the talent is, the world is a big place and there is so much talent worldwide. There are fighters in Brazil who are homeless, do you understand what I mean? There are fighters in New Zealand and Japan who haven't been discovered yet, also in the U.K. and Austrailia and the list goes on. I talked to a buddy of mine in Peru, he's a coach and he is telling me he has some amazing guys. So I think the martial arts community in the U.S. forgets that there is a world at large, there is so much talent out there. I have said this before, MMA is only at the beginning in terms of growth, it has taken twenty years to get here but it is going to take another twenty years to get this to it's peak. I say that because in kickboxing, you only have kickboxing to pull talent from. When you look at mixed martial arts, you have wrestling to pull from, judo to pull from, jiujitsu, kickboxing, boxing, kung fu, karate- there are so many more avenues and so many more talents pools to pull from. When you look at it worldwide it's crazy, talent is going to continue to grow, generations are going to continue to move forward, new exciting fighters will continue to climb the rankings and the sport will continue to grow for a very long time."Give me an idea of the new regional markets WSOF plans to get into for 2014? Where can fans across the world expect to see the WSOF banner this year?"I just got back from Japan, that deal is done and I'm heading back there in two weeks to announce an official date that we plan to hold the first event there. While I was in Japan, I spoke with our partners in Australia and New Zealand and we are looking at April for the first show out there. So for us, things are one-hundred percent moving forward and we are one-hundred percent going to go global. Canada was our first international show and it was a great success, so like I said, we will continue to put on great shows and continue to sign good talent and build up our own young talent. There are talks going back and forth with the U.K. but again, certain markets are going to move faster than others so we will continue work on that. In terms of being on television around the world, I have to thank IMG for partnering with us and getting us viewers across the globe, it's another exciting aspect of World Series of Fighting. Between New Zealand and Japan we plan to have six to twelve shows in this year alone."Tell me about the show in Nicaragua and the Omega MMA acquisition, Central America seems to be a relatively untapped market, is that a market you plan to expand into this coming year?"Absolutely. We didn't actually run that show Nicaragua we just sponsored it, but we are obviously looking to have a presence there and we are currently in talks with them as well. Also, another one on the way is Mexico and I believe that deal is in the last stages of being finalized, we definitely want to be all over the world for sure."With the partnership at NBC Sports going well, could we expect a WSOF PPV event in the near future?"Great question. Absolutely, we have talked about it but there is no confirmation on when that would happen, it has been part of the discussions in the office though. All in good time, like I said we have taken our time with building this league and we have allowed things to naturally happen the way they were supposed to happen and I think that's how we will approach the Pay-Per View. When the time is right we will make it happen."In conclusion, how many live events are planned for North America in 2014? And what can WSOF fans expect to see this year?"We are looking to do twelve events for NBC Sports this year. We will continue to deliver great fights and I want to thank the fans for supporting us and also the media. It's one thing for us to do our job but if you guys weren't there, we probably wouldn't be either. It's one of those things that allows the world to rotate, everyone has to do their part. I think the UFC has done a great job building the sport and whether they know it or not, we are working together, without working together if you know what I mean."
Be sure to follow Ray on Twitter @SugarRaySefo and follow WSOF @MMAWorldSeries!
Photo courtesy of www.RaySefo.com

]]>http://prommanow.com/2014/01/06/exclusive-wsof-president-ray-sefo-outlines-2014-plans-for-continued-growth-and-global-expansion/feed/0Kalib Starnes discusses impressive WSOF debut, future fight plans and much morehttp://prommanow.com/2013/12/10/kalib-starnes-discusses-impressive-wsof-debut-future-fight-plans-and-much-more/
http://prommanow.com/2013/12/10/kalib-starnes-discusses-impressive-wsof-debut-future-fight-plans-and-much-more/#commentsTue, 10 Dec 2013 14:21:16 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=122218Following his vicious knockout victory over Dwayne Lewis at World Series Of Fighting 7 this past Saturday, Kalib Starnes caught up with ProMMAnow.com's Jason Kindschy to discuss the win, fighting for WSOF, his resurgent career and his future in MMA .
Kalib's responses are italicized.Congratulations on the impressive victory over Dwayne Lewis at WSOF 7, is that how you anticipated the fight going?"I was planning to walk him down and feint a lot and try to set a pace that he would be uncomfortable with and put a lot of pressure on him. I don't think you have really seen anybody that could walk him down before, I felt like he was used to fighting at a certain pace and if I could set a faster pace then he liked I could break him down. I think that strategy worked out for me."What did you know about Dwayne going into this fight? Did you compete in the same circuit in Canada?"Not really. I'm from British Columbia and he is from Alberta, so he was fighting for pretty much the biggest promotion out there in MFC. I was fighting for the AFC, which the biggest promotion out here in British Columbia, so he was fighting a different crew then I was."The elbows thrown to finish the fight were vicious, the standing elbow strike K.O. is not common in MMA and the finish is likely to be immortalized in the WSOF highlight reel. Were those strikes something you had specifically been working on for this fight or were they just impromptu?" I was actually kind of surprised because I definitely didn't land my best elbows on him. I threw my shoulder into it really well and I could feel the impact really jarred his head, it's when you cause that kind of snap or jolt that people go unconscious. I could feel that kind of vibrate through his head when I was holding it with the other hand."It appeared the elbow that rendered Lewis unconscious landed right on the jaw line, would you say that is accurate?"I think the first one landed on up on his head more and I think the second landed on his cheek bone because I saw it start to bleed when he fell down."Since you both are fellow countrymen, who did you think the Canadian fans were going to side with on fight night?"I had a good response from the crowd that night and I felt people were pretty receptive to me. I've had three knockout wins on my last four fights and I've fought some of the better guys around here, you know? I fought guys at heavyweight, light heavyweight and middleweight in the past sixth months. Like with Tim Hague, he was cutting to 265 and I was walking around at like 215, so it wasn't easy to knock him out. He has a huge head to begin with and I was hitting him with a lot of right straights and kicks to the head and he wasn't going anywhere. I staggered him a couple of times but just his bone structure alone, the guy is built like a true heavyweight."You channeled your inner Nick Diaz for this fight, I am wondering if you genuinely didn't like Dwayne or were you just trying to bait him into exchanging and put on a show for the crowd?"It doesn't have anything to do with him personally. It doesn't really matter who it is, it's just the nature of the sport and it's the mentality that you have to have when you go in there. I was going in there to knock him out; that was my intention, to walk him down and knock him out. It's not like we were going in there to play table tennis or something like that, I was trying to knock him out. If you ever fight, you realize that you're not there to make friends, I'll hang out with him after and he seems like a really nice guy and I have nothing against him personally but I'm trying to finish the guy off. So I'll talk to him and say stuff and walk him down, that's the sport of fighting right? When anybody fought Muhammed Ali, he would yell at them the whole fight, from the opening bell to the closing bell and yell at them at the weigh-ins. That just a part of it, it's just physiological warfare. You're trying to take fighting and clean it up and take the nastiness out of it for T.V., like trying to take the attitude and the adrenaline out of it, but it's still there. You can cover it up and shake hands and hug and kiss or whatever, but it's still a fight and that's what I think a lot of people tend to forget."Have you ever been told to stop trash-talking during a match by a referee?"No. And really, what does it matter if you say something to him? To be quite honest with you, if you're allowed to shin-kick someone in the face and smash them with your elbows, but you can't tell him that he is ugly or that he's slow? Are you stupid? Like, 'No don't hurt his feelings, but you can give him a traumatic brain injury,' come on now."Just out of curiosity, can you recall anything you said to Dwayne specifically during the bout?"I was talking to him about his right hand. He was throwing his right hand and he was well known for it, he's knocked a few guys out with it, so I was just talking to him about that."It doesn't get much better as far as promotional debuts go, how happy was Ray Sefo with your performance?"Ray told me that he liked the fight a lot. He also said that he liked Dwayne's performance a lot too and I totally agree. Dwayne Lewis was in there the whole time and it was a good fight, he was using good technique and throwing good shots off. He wasn't a pushover and he wasn't an easy guy to walk down, he is a big powerful guy and threw hard. I think Ray would like to have both of us back."So you only signed a one-fight deal with WSOF? Have you been offered a multi-fight contract?"No, I haven't signed a multi-fight contract with them yet but I am definitely open to it. I'm trying to fight again right away, I want to fight again in January and I don't have any injuries, I just got the two week non-contact suspension which is pretty standard. So I'd like to fight in January and then again in February if I can, I have been talking to a couple of guys and I'd like to fight on another World Series of Fighting card as soon as I can. I want to fight as much as I can next year, I want to be really active. I tried to fight every month this year but I was just unable to find people willing to fight me or promotions willing to put the fight together. There is not a lot of promotions in Canada and when you have to pay a fighter ten or fifteen thousand dollars and then pay their opponent and then fly everyone in, you have to have a big enough venue to bring people to. You can't be a small promotion and put on fights like that unless guys are willing to come in and fight for nothing. So I have been trying to stay as busy as I can, I have called promoters all over Canada just trying to get fights. I last fought in August and I tried to get a fight in September and November but I couldn't find any opponents or any promoters willing to put me into a fight. I want to fight, I have been putting on exciting fights, I had 3 knockouts in 4 fights so give me a fight!"So just to be clear, it sounds like you were willing to take less money in order to stay active and get more fights?"Yes, I was trying to fight for less money, I was trying to do anything I could to make the fights happen. For example, they usually fly your corner in and I was going to have another fighter as my cornerman and we would both fight and corner each other, share a room, etc. Anything I could do to try and knock the cost down for them but I wasn't able to really get anybody. The ones who were willing to make it work just couldn't find an opponent for me because a lot of people say a lot of things, but when it comes to getting in there and actually fighting, those people are a hard to find for some reason."You have clearly taken the long and hard road back to competing on primetime television with a big name promotion, did you ever reconsider this as your profession or did you always feel your hard work would eventually pay off?"Well for me, this is the type of sport that you really have to want to be there. You really have to want it and I want to be there right now, I want to fight and I want to win. I am in a great place mentally and emotionally, I'm very stable and focused on what I need to do, thats pretty much it. I have put in a lot of work now, more than I ever have before as far as mental and physiological preparation goes and it's really paying off. I would say that is about half my training now and that's what is working for me. Dealing with the mental and physical stress and remembering what you need to do, there's a lot of things involved in this sport and it is not an easy sport."That transitions into my next question perfectly. What are you looking to accomplish in MMA going forward?"I want to start fighting for some titles, I want to win some belts in the light heavyweight division. I feel really comfortable at this weight and that's what I am looking to do, my stand-up game and my style have evolved a lot, I have twenty years of jiu-jitsu under my belt, I have been wrestling and working on everything. I am stronger then I have ever been and I feel like I am ready to start fighting more often and taking on bigger fights." So your projected turnaround time is that you want to fight in January and again in February?"Yes, please put that out there. Anybody reading this or listening to this, I want to fight in January and February and if you have a fight for me let me know, I'm easy to find."In conclusion, Kalib gave this statement to his fans and supporters:"Thank you to everybody for coming out and supporting me and the people who stuck by me through my low times. Not everything went smooth throughout my career but a lot of people stuck by me and those are the people I have to appreciate in my life."]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/12/10/kalib-starnes-discusses-impressive-wsof-debut-future-fight-plans-and-much-more/feed/1Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Neil Grove, Ché Mills, Marc Allen, Cage Warriors 55, UCMMA 34, UFC 160http://prommanow.com/2013/05/30/pro-ukmma-now-radio-neil-grove-che-mills-marc-allen-cage-warriors-55-ucmma-34-ufc-160/
http://prommanow.com/2013/05/30/pro-ukmma-now-radio-neil-grove-che-mills-marc-allen-cage-warriors-55-ucmma-34-ufc-160/#respondThu, 30 May 2013 21:19:27 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=115787[ads1]This is the ninth episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Neil "Goliath" Grove, who will be taking on John Gillies in a heavyweight K1 bout at UCMMA 34 this Saturday, June 1st.
Jay also speaks with Ché Mills about his upcoming fight against current Cage Warriors welterweight champion Cathal Pendred at Cage Warriors 55, which will take place at the Helix in Dublin, Ireland, on June 1st.
Lastly, Jay catches up with Marc "Suplex" Allen, who is set to face Paul Redmond in a lightweight matchup this weekend at Cage Warriors 55.
Also in this episode, Jay runs through the results for UFC 160 and Made 4 The Cage 10, which both took place this past weekend. He runs down the UCMMA 34 and Cage Warriors 55 fight cards, and gives you some UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

[ads2]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/05/30/pro-ukmma-now-radio-neil-grove-che-mills-marc-allen-cage-warriors-55-ucmma-34-ufc-160/feed/0Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Matt Ewin, Lee Decker, ACB 6, Made 4 The Cage 10, UFC on FX 8, UFC 160http://prommanow.com/2013/05/23/pro-ukmma-now-radio-matt-ewin-lee-decker-acb-6-made-4-the-cage-10-ufc-on-fx-8-ufc-160/
http://prommanow.com/2013/05/23/pro-ukmma-now-radio-matt-ewin-lee-decker-acb-6-made-4-the-cage-10-ufc-on-fx-8-ufc-160/#respondFri, 24 May 2013 02:34:03 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=115422[ads1]This is the eighth episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Matt Ewin, who fights out of Trojan Free Fighters gym and will be taking on Andrew Punshon at Made 4 The Cage 10 this Saturday, May 25th. Jay also speaks with Lee Decker about his promotion, Amateur Cage Battles, and their sixth event, which takes place this Saturday.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for UFC on FX 8, which all took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight card for UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2, and gives you the hottest UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

[ads2]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/05/23/pro-ukmma-now-radio-matt-ewin-lee-decker-acb-6-made-4-the-cage-10-ufc-on-fx-8-ufc-160/feed/0Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Leigh Remedios, Into The Cage 8, UFC on FX 8, CWFC Fight Night 8http://prommanow.com/2013/05/16/pro-ukmma-now-radio-leigh-remedios-into-the-cage-8-ufc-on-fx-8-cwfc-fight-night-8/
http://prommanow.com/2013/05/16/pro-ukmma-now-radio-leigh-remedios-into-the-cage-8-ufc-on-fx-8-cwfc-fight-night-8/#respondThu, 16 May 2013 23:04:00 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=115021This is the seventh episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Leigh Remedios, who will be taking on Dan Welsh at Into The Cage 8, which takes place at the Andover Leisure Centre in Andover, England, on May 18.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for CWFC Fight Night 8, which took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight card for UFC on FX 8, and gives you the latest UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

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[ads1]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/05/16/pro-ukmma-now-radio-leigh-remedios-into-the-cage-8-ufc-on-fx-8-cwfc-fight-night-8/feed/0Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Jack ‘The Stone’ Mason, CWFC Fight Night 8, Cage Warriors 54http://prommanow.com/2013/05/09/pro-ukmma-now-radio-jack-the-stone-mason-cwfc-fight-night-8-cage-warriors-54/
http://prommanow.com/2013/05/09/pro-ukmma-now-radio-jack-the-stone-mason-cwfc-fight-night-8-cage-warriors-54/#respondThu, 09 May 2013 21:11:57 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=114624This is the sixth episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Jack "The Stone" Mason, who will be taking on Collin Reuter in the main event at CWFC Fight Night 8, which takes place at the Mirbeh Sports Hall in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on May 11.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for Cage Warriors 54, which all took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight card for CWFC Fight Night 8, and gives you the latest UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

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[ads1]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/05/09/pro-ukmma-now-radio-jack-the-stone-mason-cwfc-fight-night-8-cage-warriors-54/feed/0Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Diego Gonzalez, Martin McDonough, Cage Warriors 54, UFC 159http://prommanow.com/2013/05/02/pro-ukmma-now-radio-diego-gonzalez-martin-mcdonough-cage-warriors-54-ufc-159/
http://prommanow.com/2013/05/02/pro-ukmma-now-radio-diego-gonzalez-martin-mcdonough-cage-warriors-54-ufc-159/#respondFri, 03 May 2013 04:07:47 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=114408This is the fifth episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Diego Gonzalez, who will be taking on Danny Roberts at Cage Warriors 54 this Saturday, May 4th. Jay also speaks with Martin "Mr Pink" McDonough, who is set to face Mark Platts on the same card in Cardiff, Wales.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for UFC 159, which all took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight card for Cage Warriors 54, and gives you the hottest UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

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[ads1]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/05/02/pro-ukmma-now-radio-diego-gonzalez-martin-mcdonough-cage-warriors-54-ufc-159/feed/0Pro UKMMA Now Radio: UFC on FOX 7, Fight UK 9, UFC 159http://prommanow.com/2013/04/25/pro-ukmma-now-radio-ufc-on-fox-7-fight-uk-9-ufc-159/
http://prommanow.com/2013/04/25/pro-ukmma-now-radio-ufc-on-fox-7-fight-uk-9-ufc-159/#respondThu, 25 Apr 2013 21:51:43 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=113979This is the fourth episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. In this show Jay Cee goes through the event results for Fight UK 9 and talks about some of the fights and results from UFC on FOX 7, which took place this past weekend.
Also in this episode, Jay looks ahead to UFC 159 and discusses some of the matchups set to take place on Saturday night. He runs down the fight card, and gives you some Cage Warriors, UCFC, Legend FC, UFC, MMA and GLORY news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

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[ads1]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/04/25/pro-ukmma-now-radio-ufc-on-fox-7-fight-uk-9-ufc-159/feed/0Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Rosi Sexton, Joanne Calderwood, TUF 17 Finale, Legacy FC 19, Cage Warriors 53http://prommanow.com/2013/04/12/pro-ukmma-now-radio-rosi-sexton-joanne-calderwood-tuf-17-finale-legacy-fc-19-cage-warriors-53/
http://prommanow.com/2013/04/12/pro-ukmma-now-radio-rosi-sexton-joanne-calderwood-tuf-17-finale-legacy-fc-19-cage-warriors-53/#commentsFri, 12 Apr 2013 09:39:41 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=113085This is the third episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Rosi Sexton, who recently signed with the UFC and is scheduled to take on Alexis Davis at UFC 161 on June 15. Jay also speaks with Joanne Calderwood, who is set to face Sally Krumdiack this weekend in the co-main event at Cage Warriors 53.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for Invicta FC 5, UFC on FUEL TV 9 and UCMMA 33, which all took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight cards for the TUF 17 Finale, Cage Warriors 53 and Legacy Fighting Championships 19, and gives you some UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

[ads1]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/04/12/pro-ukmma-now-radio-rosi-sexton-joanne-calderwood-tuf-17-finale-legacy-fc-19-cage-warriors-53/feed/1Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Che Mills, Oli Thompson, Jamie Reynolds, Staydown FC VIII, GLORY 5, WSOF 2http://prommanow.com/2013/03/28/pro-ukmma-now-radio-che-mills-oli-thompson-jamie-reynolds-staydown-fc-viii-glory-5-wsof-2/
http://prommanow.com/2013/03/28/pro-ukmma-now-radio-che-mills-oli-thompson-jamie-reynolds-staydown-fc-viii-glory-5-wsof-2/#commentsThu, 28 Mar 2013 21:30:36 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=112300This is the second episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Che Mills, who recently signed with Cage Warriors and is scheduled to take on Cathal Pendred for the welterweight title at CWFC 55 on June 1. Jay also speaks with British heavyweight fighter, Oli Thompson, who recently fought Karol Bedorf at KSW 22 in Poland, on March 16. Lastly, Jay catches up with Jamie Reynolds, who will take on Sam Gilbert this weekend in the main event at Staydown Fighting Championships VIII.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for RFA 7, World Series of Fighting 2 and GLORY 5, which all took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight card for Staydown FC VIII and gives you some UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

[ads1]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/03/28/pro-ukmma-now-radio-che-mills-oli-thompson-jamie-reynolds-staydown-fc-viii-glory-5-wsof-2/feed/2Pro UKMMA Now Radio: Danny Missin, GLORY 5, Lockdown 3, WSOF 2, UFC 158 and morehttp://prommanow.com/2013/03/21/pro-ukmma-now-radio-danny-missin-glory-5-lockdown-3-wsof-2-ufc-158-and-more/
http://prommanow.com/2013/03/21/pro-ukmma-now-radio-danny-missin-glory-5-lockdown-3-wsof-2-ufc-158-and-more/#respondThu, 21 Mar 2013 18:07:05 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=111813This is the first episode of Pro UKMMA Now Radio hosted by Jay Cee. The show was formerly named "The MMA Review Radio Show", but that has now changed and the show will have a new name going forward. Don't worry, the show's format will remain exactly the same, all that will change is the name.
This show features an interview with British fighter Danny Missin, who will take on Ian Postlethwaite this weekend in the main event at Lockdown 3, which takes place at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Trafford Park, Manchester, England, on March 23.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for Full Contact Contender 5 and UFC 158, which both took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight cards for RFA 7, GLORY 5 London and WSOF 2, and gives you some UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
Pro UKMMA Now Radio is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. Pro UKMMA Now Radio airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.

[ads1]]]>http://prommanow.com/2013/03/21/pro-ukmma-now-radio-danny-missin-glory-5-lockdown-3-wsof-2-ufc-158-and-more/feed/0The MMA Review Radio Show: Mark Platts, Declan Williams, FCC 5, UFC 158 and morehttp://prommanow.com/2013/03/14/the-mma-review-radio-show-mark-platts-declan-williams-fcc-5-ufc-158-and-more/
http://prommanow.com/2013/03/14/the-mma-review-radio-show-mark-platts-declan-williams-fcc-5-ufc-158-and-more/#respondThu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:43 +0000http://prommanow.com/?p=111376This is the sixth episode of The MMA Review Radio Show hosted by Jay Cee. This show features an interview with Mark Platts, who will take on Pietro Menga this weekend in the main event at Full Contact Contender 5. Jay also speaks with British fighter, Declan Williams, who is set to face Ste Nightingale in the co-main event at FCC 5, which takes place in the Premier Suite at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium on March 16.
Also in this episode, Jay Cee goes through the event results for Cage Warriors 52, BAMMA 12 and Shock'n'Awe 13, which all took place this past weekend. He runs down the fight card for Full Contact Contender 5, takes a look at the UFC 158 fight card and gives you some UFC/MMA news updates from this past week.
The MMA Review Radio Show is part of the Pro MMA Now Radio Network and focuses primarily on Mixed Martial Arts news in the U.K. and Europe. The MMA Review Radio Show airs every Thursday on the Pro MMA Now Radio Network. Be sure to check out our other shows as well: Pro MMA Now Radio, Pro WMMA Now! Radio, and Bluegrass MMA Live.
Follow Jay Cee at @JayCeeMMA and ProMMAnow.com at @PROMMA on Twitter and visit ProMMAnow.com for all your UFC and MMA news and analysis, exclusive interviews, MMA industry insider blogs, MMA fight videos and much much more.